New ways of thinking will be ‘essential for economic and social success post-coronavirus’, according to Pete Cohen, keynote speaker at the upcoming Think Differently virtual event, hosted by Association for Project Management (APM) and sponsored by Fujitsu.
Think Differently: redefining diversity in projects is a five-day virtual event taking place between Monday 21 September and Friday 25 September, and aims to promote diversity of thought, creative problem-solving and new ways of working, to enable businesses and individuals to deliver ever better benefits to society through projects.
The event will take place online, with different themes being explored each day through live sessions delivered by handpicked speakers, sharing a wealth of creative ideas, experiences and practical tools. In addition, there will be virtual networking sessions for project professionals of all backgrounds and experience levels and a virtual exhibition area where delegates can interact with sponsors and take part in activities.
The event will also include APM’s Women in Project Management (WiPM) virtual conference, which will tackle some of the most relevant topics affecting project professionals today.
Daily themes will include:
- Thinking differently about organisations
How project organisations are developing to embrace a more diverse culture and how people can influence positive change in their organisation.
- Thinking differently about people
How approaching team diversity from a different perspective contributes to greater project success, how to build personal skill sets and improve wellbeing in project teams.
- Thinking differently about projects
How challenging traditional thinking on project processes means better and longer lasting benefits for the end user.
- Thinking differently about women in project management
This virtual APM Women in Project Management conference day will inspire people to forge a new path and create their own adventure through the project profession.
- Think differently takeaway day
The final day of the event will feature digestible summary sessions to clarify key takeaways and messages from the week.
Pete Cohen, expert in human behaviour and performance, will be the event’s opening keynote speaker. Pete, who has coached numerous world-class sporting stars and was the resident life coach on ITV’s GMTV for 12 years, will kick off the week with a practical and inspiring talk on how to ‘think differently’.
He said: “Changing mindset to view things from a different perspective requires skills, patience and practice – but it can be very rewarding! My session will give the audience a ‘brain warm up’, offering valuable tools and techniques to help them approach the week ahead with an open mind – and get much more out of it as a result.”
Debbie Dore, Association for Project Management’s chief executive, said: “Whether responding to the global pandemic or the climate change crisis, it’s essential for organisations and individuals to embrace new ways of working, new people and new thinking.
“Now is the time for change, but we recognise change also brings challenges. This event will look at what ‘thinking differently’ truly means for organisations, individuals and projects to inspire people to embrace and celebrate the kind of diverse thinking that will result in greater project success and better outcomes for society.”
Registration for Association for Project Management Think Differently Week is open now. Individual members of APM can register for free. Employees of APM Corporate Partners can register for £15. Non-members can register for £25, which includes access to the full five-day event.
